As one of my first excursions outside of Paris, I visited Honfleur, a little port town in the Normandie region that was about two hours away from Paris by bus, with my study abroad program. Though we had to wake up very early in the morning to make our 7:15 AM meeting time, it was compensated by the fact that we were able to nap comfortably on the bus ride to Honfleur.

The first thing you notice upon entering the premises of Honfleur is how adorable and storybook-like it is. As a port town, the activity was concentrated around the docks, where plenty of vendors, shops, restaurants, and cafés were scattered about. Walking further in, we encountered an open air market, or “marché en plein air,” as the French call it.

The market featured fruit such as melt-in-your-mouth, fresh strawberries, flavorful artisan olives, exotic cheeses, and so much more. In the center of the market is Saint-Catherine’s Church, a church entirely made out of wood. Something really interesting about this structure is that the bell tower is a separate entity, sitting a couple of feet away from the church.

After exploring the central area, tasting delicacies, and snapping tons of photos, our group headed up a steep, hilly area. It was a direct hike up, but it was completely doable. The breath-taking view at the top made the trek well worth it. There, we shared a snack of strawberries and figs, which were quite possibly the most delicious strawberries and figs I’ve ever had.

Next, we continued our journey above Honfleur’s town, appreciating the verdant nature and views along the way. Eventually, we reached the bottom, back to where we started, and split on our own to grab lunch.

We were given Ticket Service checks worth 20 Euros, which we were able to use at most restaurants in the area. I ended up at a café, L’Abricotier, for a three course meal: Terrine de Campagne (country terrine) to start, Moules Marinières (mussels) as the main dish, and Duo de Desserts (mini portions of Floating Island and apple terrine with milk caramel) for dessert. The food tasted amazing and was an excellent end to Honfleur.

If you liked this article, you can find more writing by Kayla at the wellness and balancing lifestyle blog, The Summer Lover. Feel free to binge-read!